Fairytale Forest

Beltane

16. February 2014

Location: Book Island, 

Host: Harriet Gausman

Picture Prompt: Fairytale Forest

Time: 30 mins

The sun peered through the thick wall of pine trees and the stubby shrubbery shone a glossy shine of whiteness. Somehow, trying to find my way, I got startled by each branch cracking under my footsteps. The noise echoed from all directions, making me look left and right. I always thought the sun would give a warm tone to everything it touched, but this time its kisses were white. The clearing ahead promised a tempting opportunity for a well-deserved rest, or so I thought. And yet, it seemed to mock me. It would move farther and farther away from my need to rest, increasing it, setting it into a frantic state of anxiety. It was just right ahead of me, I could see it clearly and it was quite implausible to me that walking as fast and as determined as I did, I couldn’t simply… get there.

Suddenly, I opened my eyes. I couldn’t breathe for a few seconds and felt totally overpowered. I was having a nightmare… I inhaled violently, trying to free myself from the claws of immobility. I sat upright and looked around. I was safe, I thought.

The breeze swirled languidly around me. I must’ve left the window open during the night.

I tried to stand up and heard a branch cracking under my knee. Was I still dreaming? I stood up and looked about. The light was intense. I closed and opened my eyes a few times so they could adjust. And I took one step, one single step.

No. No. No. How many days ago had I made the worst decision of my life? Go experience the space, don’t imagine it, and just go there. A forest is a magic place, you’ll be able to write the perfect fairytale if you go and see it for yourself.

I was still lost. I was still in the forest. And there was still no clearing. And still no fairytale, only the forest, the never ending forest.